READ: Hockey's Future Draft Review

She thinks that fourth round pick Michael St. Croix could be a steal for them because of his good skating and vision.

With St. Croix and Shane McColgan, it seems like the Rangers took some players that have nice upside in the middle rounds. Those are the kind of players that I love to see the Rangers take. These guys were ranked high at one point and have talent. They may be undersized, but if they can play well, they will get spots with the Rangers.

What Alain Vigneault said after the OT win against the Flyers

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Alain Vigneault met with the media following the Rangers OT win over Philly and said (NYR Game Notes):

On whether Filip Chytil met expectations tonight compared to his performance in training camp … "We put him in difficult situations and again tonight from my standpoint, you see a real strong skater there and confident with the puck. I threw him out there and for the most part I thought he did well tonight."

On whether they are any closer to making decisions on final cuts after tonight's game…"We've got one more game there and a lot of those players are going to play on back-to-back nights. They're going to have another opportunity to show what they can do and we'll have to make decisions. We still have 34 players at this time so we have to get down to 24 or 25 after tomorrow. We're going to have to let them play and they'll make the decisions for us by how they are playing."

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The projected lineup for tonight's game against the Flyers

7:09AM

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The Rangers have announced that the projected lineup for tonight in Philly is:

Andrew Desjardins suspended two preseason games

Sep 25 | 7:56PM

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New York Islanders right wing Josh Ho-Sang controls the puck against New York Rangers left wing Andrew Desjardins during the first period at Madison Square Garden. (Noah K. Murray/USA Today Sports Images)

9/25/17 | Desjardins has been suspended two preseason games by the NHL's department of player safety.

9/24/17 | The NHL announced last night that Andrew Desjardins will have a hearing on Monday for his illegal check to the head of Miles Wood last night. (Player Safety)

8:06 into the first period last night, Desjardins was given a match penalty after his hit on Wood.

Asked on Friday if he thought it were possible that both Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil could make the team to start the year, Alain Vigneault said that it was possible due to Jesper Fast being out until the end of October.

Asked on Monday, Vigneault said that it was "possible" that the Rangers enter the season with two 18-year olds and that both Andersson and Chytil are scheduled to play the final two games of the preseason.

On Thursday, Vigneault said that both Andersson and Chytil are "coachable and seem to be having fun and that the duo have caught the attention of the coaching staff because of their "skills, skating and hockey smarts."

Vigneault on Zibanejad, Andersson, Chytil and more

Sep 25 | 1:07PM

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Mar 28, 2017; San Jose, CA, USA; New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault watches the game against the San Jose Sharks in the third period at SAP Center at San Jose. The Sharks won 5-4 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports (John Hefti)

Alain Vigneault met with the media on Monday prior to the Rangers game against the Flyers (NYR):

On Mika Zibanejad, "there is no doubt that if we gave Mika that long-term contract with the money that we did it's because we believe that he can be the player we expect him to be, a top performer every night. We have talked about his potential and ability and it has to be there. If we are going to have the success we think we can have as a team then we need guys to step up and assume a bigger role, we gave him the contract and we think he will assume a bigger role."

On Zibanejad, "I would say that is a learning curve for a player, you learn every game, day, practice. We believe he has the capabilities right now to put it together. I've said a few times about different players, younger players, they gotta figure it out and in Mika's case he is the same way. We believe that with his experience and skill set that he has figured it out and is going to be one of our key guys this year."

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JT Miller will now start the season as a winger

Sep 25 | 12:26PM

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Apr 14, 2017; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; New York Rangers center J.T. Miller (10) skates with the puck against Montreal Canadiens during the second period in game two of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports (Jean-Yves Ahern)

1:12PM: When asked if Miller was still a center, Vigneault said "no. The thing with JT, his versatility, he can play left, right or middle, it's such a bonus. We wanted to give him a little bit more experience by starting him off of there but right now, in my mind, with the performance of some of our guys down the middle, Desharnais coming in and playing well and the kids coming in, JT is going to start on the wing. I do think that at some point you will see him in the middle, that has happened throughout his time with me but he will start on the wing."

12:26PM: Alain Vigneault said today that JT Miller will start this season as a winger and not as a center. (Zipay)

The role Rick Nash plays on this Rangers team

Sep 24 | 4:44PM

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Apr 14, 2017; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; New York Rangers forward Rick Nash (61) skates during the warmup period before game two of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports (Eric Bolte)

Vigneault was asked if Nash scoring 23 goals last season was enough for the Rangers and said that in addition to the 23 goals he scored he was one of the Rangers "most effective players" at both ends of the ice.

He added, "I do expect a lot from him, he is one of our veteran players, one of our strong voices in the room, a great example. I expect a lot of him at both ends of the rink and I know that is what we are going to get."

What Vigneault said after the loss to NJ last night

Sep 24 | 8:19AM

Mar 18, 2017; Saint Paul, MN, USA; New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault looks on during the third period against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. The Rangers defeated the Wild 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports (Brace Hemmelgarn)

Alain Vigneault spoke after the Rangers loss to the Devils and said (NYR):

On the Desjardin hit, "Their guy had his head down and was taking the puck to the net and Andrew was playing the man and his shoulder did hit the head and referees are told to call that. It's unfortunate, I just spoke to Andrew and it's not something he wanted to do but the guys is taking the puck to the net."

How does it impact things for him, "we still have two more games and it's unfortunate but stuff like that happens and he will be ready for the next game."

Drew Stafford scored the game-winning goal in the third quarter to lead the Devils to a 2-1 win over the Rangers on Saturday at the Prudential Center. >> Read more

First Period

No goals

Second Period

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What Vigneault said prior to tonight's game

Sep 23 | 5:40PM

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Mar 28, 2017; San Jose, CA, USA; New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault watches the game against the San Jose Sharks in the third period at SAP Center at San Jose. The Sharks won 5-4 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports (John Hefti)

Alain Vigneault met with the media earlier today and said the following (NYR):

On last night, "the game itself, watching it and discussing it with my coaches, Gorts and Chris, we have a pretty good feel after three games of where certain guys are. They have 3 more, 1 tonight against Jersey and then our guys will get a well deserved day off, they have been working hard and we've played 4 games in a short amount of time. The last two games will be important, important decisions to make up front and on D, who plays with who and on what line. Picture is getting a little clearer but still some decisions to be made."

On Chytil, "because of the injury I think he overcompensated in another area and the training staff felt it was a good idea to give him today and combined with tomorrow, he will skate on Monday and should be good to go."

On the cuts, "we are definitely going to let a few guys go today, a little later on in the afternoon and that should bring us to a number that will bring us above 30 and permit us to play the last two games and after the last one we can get down to 23-24-25 with Quickie."

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Bereglazov, Gropp and others sent to Hartford

Sep 23 | 2:53PM

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( Adam Hunger)

The Rangers have announced that the following players are being sent to Hartford

Forwards: Ryan Gropp, Malte Stromwall, Adam Tambellini

Defensemen: Alexei Bereglazov, John Gilmour, Vince Pedrie

Goaltenders: Alexandar Georgiev, Chris Nell

The Rangers have 38 players remaining in training camp.

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The Rangers are trying to get Chris Kreider to play like a "beast" consistently

Sep 23 | 11:52AM

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Sep 20, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers left wing Chris Kreider (20) readies for play during the third period against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports (Danny Wild)

He added that Kreider is "not a kid anymore, it's his turn now and he has to become a real good voice in our room, a great example fitness wise off the ice. We expect more from him and I know we are going to get it."

What Vigneault said after the Rangers loss to the Isles

Sep 23 | 9:08AM

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(Brad Penner)

Alain Vigneault met with the media on Friday following the Rangers loss in Bridgeport (NYR):

On the pace, "I thought that we got better as the game went on. After the first period we carried the play in the second and third, we had some real good looks offensively and I liked a lot of parts about our game, it was a great crowd, guys worked hard on both teams and we came up a little short."

On limiting penalties, "we've practiced it the last couple of days and we had a linesmen and a ref come in before the game and explain to the whole team about the faceoff and slashing penalties. I thought both teams, they probably did the same thing that we did and it made it for more 5 on 5 time and I think it was a pretty good game."

Did players stand out, "for the most part I thought that our younger players, from Filip to Vinni, I don't want to start naming names, there is some good skill on the ice, some good offensive looks. Maybe not enough net presence but for the most part there were a lot of good things. "

Mika Zibanejad, after being sick and not playing in the Rangers first three preseason games, will play tomorrow against the Devils. (NYR)

Zibanejad said, "the whole week before camp I was in bed and sweating and shaking. Back on my feet now and getting some skates in and getting back into it and it feels good to get back into it tomorrow." (NYR)

Alain Vigneault said of Zibanejad on Friday:

On his being sick, "it is what it is, we pushed him. He was sick, had to restrain the first couple of days in off-ice workouts but we have been pushing him harder the last little while. Says that his legs feel good and he is ready to go so he will play tomorrow."

On expectations, "since he hasn't played I haven't spent a lot of time talking to him or feeling him out, my understanding, because I think there was something in the paper that as far as expectations, they are higher on him. He understands the pressure and accountability. We expect a lot from him, no doubt. The organization went out and gave him a 5-year deal. We are showing him confidence and in return we expect performance and results from his end. Very confident that with the right attitude and work ethic and dedication he can live up to our expectations and his expectations as well."

Vigneault on Bereglazov, Zibanejad and more

Sep 22 | 2:47PM

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(Brad Penner)

Alain Vigneault met with the media on Friday before heading to Bridgeport for tonight's game and said (NYR):

On Bereglazov, "we had some real good reports from our Euro pro scouting personnel, that is why we signed him. Steady defenseman, we were told that he knows when to jump into the attack and was real solid defender. He came over here and was okay in Traverse City and in my estimation he's been getting better every day. He has to get used to the new ice surface. Traverse City was a learning curve for him and since he has gotten here, every practice has been a little bit better for him. That is why we waited to play the first two games before throwing him in. He got some practice time, he got some game time in Traverse City and should be good to go."

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Sean Day and two others sent to Hartford

Sep 22 | 1:28PM

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The Rangers have announced that defensemen Sean Day, Sergey Zborovskiy and forward Dawson Leedahl to Hartford.

The Rangers have 46 players remaining in camp.

All three players skated for the Rangers during the Traverse City tournament.

Viesturs has previously spoken to Alain Vigneault's Vancouver teams, including when Vancouver went to the Stanley Cup Final in 2011.

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Brendan Smith is expected to take on more of a leadership role

Sep 22 | 9:49AM

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Apr 2, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Brendan Smith (42) is honored as one of the stars of the game after scoring a goal to help beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports (Danny Wild)

Brendan Smith said that he thinks he can "flourish" in Alain Vigneault's system and said that many factors came into play regarding his decision to re-sign with the Rangers. (NYR)

Smith said that despite it being his first camp with the Rangers he feels he has been with the organization for a long time. (NYR)

He added, "we have a good leadership group, Staal is great, Nasher, I think Mac is one of the best captains in the league. Everyone can be a leader and guys know that I am vocal and I have their back and am there for them."

Alain Vigneault said that Smith is "vocal" and shares a lot of his "inner feelings with his teammates," something that Vigneault said is good and helps keep everyone accountable.

Vigneault's comments after practice on Thursday

Sep 21 | 4:22PM

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Apr 16, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault gestures behind the bench as he talks to referee Steve Kozari (40) against the Pittsburgh Penguins in game two of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Rangers won 4-2 to even the series. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports (Charles LeClaire)

On Lias and Filip, "there is no doubt that our scouts picked some young players with a tremendous amount of upside. Both of those players at our camp have had some very good moments, both show a good skill set, strong will, seem to be very coachable and seem to be having fun. For us, I think every time they get on the ice they are looking to get better and that is what you are looking for with all of your players."

Does it seem like they are just teenagers, "the theme of the slogan that talent has no age, they have been working on their skill level for quite some time. Filip has only played one game but Lias has played two and had some very good moments on the ice. We got four more games here and they will get opportunities to play and we will see what they do."

On where Filip and JT will play, "I kept him at center and moved JT to the wing. JT, I know he can play all positions and play them all well. We know about his versatility, I need to find a bit more about Filip so I am going to keep him in the middle."

Who will Filip play with, "JT and Buchnevich."

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How David Desharnais played in his preseason debut

Sep 21 | 11:00AM

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Sep 20, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers center David Desharnais (51) and New Jersey Devils defenseman Andy Greene (6) battle for the puck during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports (Danny Wild)

Last night for the Rangers, David Desharnais scored a PP goal and played 18:54.

He had 3 shot attempts (1 on goal, 1 that missed, 1 that was blocked) and was 8 and 7 on faceoffs.

Vigneault's comments after the Rangers OT win over New Jersey

Sep 21 | 7:39AM

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Dec 15, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault during the game against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. The Rangers shut out the Stars 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports (Jerome Miron)

Alain Vigneault met with the media following the Rangers OT win over the Devils and said (NYR & NYR Game Notes)

On Lias Andersson's game…"Last game I used him on the power play and today I wanted to get a sense of his understanding on the penalty killing. We're obviously trying to develop our young players but also trying to get an idea of where their game sense is. We haven't had a lot of time to practice specialty teams, we're doing a lot of video right now. We're trying to see how quick some of them can pick up. I thought for the most part he did all right."

On the penalties impacting the ability to evaluate 5-on-5 game…"It does. A lot less 5-on-5 time right now. Usually most of the game is 5-on-5, on the positive side is we're getting a chance to work on our specialty teams, our power play, and our penalty killing. Guys are getting looks and opportunities. The rules are there, the players have been told, we showed them the video, and the quicker they pick up, the better we're going to be off as a team. The NHL wants to abide by those rules now."

Filip Chytil scored the game winning goal for the Rangers, see it below.

Chytil said after the game (NYR Game Notes):

On scoring the game-winning goal…"It was an amazing feeling to score a goal in overtime. My first goal was a winning goal, and it was a great pass from Mats Zuccarello. It was an amazing feeling. I'm glad that we won."

On the pace of the game…"I felt great. It was my first game after four weeks (off). It was a great game. I played with great players, some of the best players in the league so I enjoyed every moment on the ice. It was really exciting."

On playing more games going forward…"I will see next game if I will play. I'm really happy I played my first game in Madison Square Garden and I will see what (will happen) in the next days. I am looking forward to the next day and next practice."

Vigneault on Chytil, Desharnais, Kreider and more

Sep 20 | 1:02PM

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May 2, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault coaches against the Ottawa Senators during the third period of game three of the second round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports (Brad Penner)

Alain Vigneault met with the media on Wednesday prior to tonight's game against the Devils and said (NYR):

On Chytil, "to show his skill. We haven't had the opportunity to see him because of his injury and he has only had a couple of practices. So far in practice we have seen a highly skilled, really good skater. He will get the opportunity, his first NHL game and he will remember that for the rest of his life."

On Desharnais, "so far it's just been practice but it's been what I expect from a veteran player coming from another team. He is trying to learn the system, understand the little differences that we have from where he has played before. A couple of years ago he was a 50 point player, he sees our middle and the opportunity he has. I think he is excited about that and tonight he will get a first chance to play an exhibition game and hopefully he will be good."

On versatility, "being able to play more than one position in the NHL is a big bonus and I would say that it's a must. You need to be able to play the wing and if you are a center you have to be able to play sides and contribute. Right now we are trying to sort out our things, it's only our second exhibition game. We are giving a few kids an opportunity and that is what we will do in the next couple of games also."

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The expected lines for tonight's game against the Devils

Sep 20 | 11:21AM

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(Brad Penner)

The Rangers have anonunced that the projected lines for tonight's game against the Devils are (NYR):

Vigneault on Shattenkirk, Chytil and penalties

Sep 19 | 4:00PM

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Apr 20, 2017; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault reacts during the third period in game five against Montreal Canadiens of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports (Jean-Yves Ahern)

Alain Vigneault met with the media on Tuesday after practice and said the following (NYR):

What do you want to see from Shattenkirk, "same thing we have been talking about since we signed Kevin on the first of July. Not only that puck moving ability at 5 on 5 and on the PP but he is going to have a major role on our team and part of being a successful team is having players that play hard with and without the puck. As much as brought him in for his offensive abilities, we need him to defend well and show the right reads when he doesn't have the puck because he will be playing important minutes for us and important minutes are against the best players in the league. It's a good challenge for him and one that I am sure that he wants and will live up to."

The Islanders were called for 9 penalties, 7 of which were slashing calls.

Alain Vigneault said before the game that the organization received an email earlier on Monday with a video explaining that they are looking to call more slashing penalties. (NYR Game Notes)

He added, "the faceoff situation is also going to be real stricter. Those are the rules and we know what they are. It's like with everything else, you have to adjust. They are definitely calling the slashing and want to take it out of the game." (NYR Game Notes)

What Alain Vigneault said after the Rangers win over the Isles

Sep 19 | 9:02AM

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Apr 16, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault gestures behind the bench as he talks to referee Steve Kozari (40) against the Pittsburgh Penguins in game two of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Rangers won 4-2 to even the series. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports (Charles LeClaire)

Alain Vigneault met with the media on Monday night following the Rangers OT win over the Islanders and said (NYR Game Notes, NYR):

On the game winning goal…"There's no doubt it was a really good move against an experienced player. I think Neal played a good game today, he got that goal. He was good in his decision making with the puck and played a real strong game."

On the penalties being called…"We received an email with a short video today on exactly that. They're going to be looking for slashing and making those calls. The faceoff situation is also going to be real stricter. Those are the rules and we know what they are. It's like with everything else, you have to adjust. They are definitely calling the slashing and want to take it out of the game."

Pionk scores in OT as Rangers beat Islanders

Sep 18 | 9:41PM

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New York Islanders right wing Josh Ho-Sang controls the puck against New York Rangers left wing Andrew Desjardins during the first period at Madison Square Garden. (Noah K. Murray/USA Today Sports Images)

Neal Pionk scored in overtime to lead the New York Rangers to a 1-0 win over the New York Islanders on Monday at Madison Square Garden. >> Read more